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Monday, 27 May 2013

Personalized advertising based on your genomic data


Companies market products and services according to your online browsing behavior, shopping habits, age, and social-network activities. In a very future, they may be able to advertise to you on the basis of your genetic makeup.
Miinome, a Minneapolis-based startup called plans to develop the first “member-controlled human genetic marketplace.” Their innovative idea is to sell DNA information to marketers
The company, which has just three full-time employees and is still hunting for financing, is notable mostly for its bold idea: to sell DNA information to marketers.
A MIT Technology Review article hypothesizes: "Do you carry the genetic variants associated with lactose intolerance? Here, Lactaid has a coupon for you. The genes for male-pattern baldness? That’s accelerated by stress, so maybe you should come in for a discounted massage Jimmy’s Spa & Bath".
“Today, it’s such a niche market, but there’s tremendous growth opportunities there,” said geneticist Michael Schatz of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. “In the endgame, it’s certain [genetics is] going to become one of the factors that big retailers would consider, but I think that’s pretty far off.” More info in this Wired article.

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